If you’re feeling stuck in life (who isn’t, right?) here’s an little experiment worth considering. So open your mind and play along...
What if, for a day (or better yet, a week), you deliberately step beyond that ‘how it is’ mind, and act ‘as if’ with true conviction, like a great actor, knowing everything is going to work out beautifully in the future. You KNOW it now, with such certainty, that you can relax and enjoy and flow and love and smile and accept and allow and choose the best, most joyful words, emotions, and feelings. All that, while feeling braver than you’ve ever been.
What if you spent a whole day in THAT consciousness, in that 'how it is’ kind of world? Would you explode? Would a world of such apparent irresponsible fantasy-land positivity fall apart around you, and swallow you up, and you’d never be heard from again? Would all your bills go unpaid, your boss fire you, and friends and colleagues stone you to death for being strange? Or would life (for at least one day) be so spectacularly good, so peaceful, profound and expansive, that you’d wonder why you ever spent so much time confined to ‘how it is’ smallness? Borders that you’d set (along with society, teachers, parents, neighbors, etc.) long ago, and clearly could expand if you were awake enough to consciously move them.
Make It Personal
This little experiment isn’t about epic fantasy of pretending you’re Henry the VIII or Roger Federer (but hey, that might help your serve) or anyone else, the leap has to come from the heart, into personal territory that breaks personal boundaries. This isn’t about comparisons. It’s about feeling stuck, and challenging your unique, self-imposed prisons called ‘how it is.’ It’s about leaving that one small windowless room you’ve always lived in, stepping out, and realizing you own an entire mansion, and exploring ALL the rooms, opening the windows and turning on the lights.
This is an exercise in mind-opening, but it’s backed up (at least in my view) by some of the greatest teachers in the world; I can hear parts of Eckhart Tolle (“The Power of Now”), Iyanla Vanzant (is this not a not-so-subtle exercise in forgiveness and letting go?), and Abraham Hicks (the Law of Attraction is always and only working right now) in this exercise. And of course, so many other authors and leaders -- this is not rocket science, this is backed up, ubiquitous and modern (and yet also centuries old) self-help. It's advice I’ve heard from many therapists, motivational speakers and experts over the years.
It’s just an idea, but to me, a fascinating one. SO many people, most often highly intelligent, smart, even successfully ones, get stuck. They reach a certain age, and life’s suddenly over, it’s too late for a new career, romance or fresh dreams or possibilities. Or their past is just too toxic, too full of trauma and wounds, for this to work. That’s for ‘other people’ with fewer problems and more assets, right?
It's Not About Perfection, It's About Perception
This isn’t about happiness through being perfect, being the best, or getting the most followers in Instagram (sorry Kim and Kylie!). It’s a highly personal, intimate exercise, best done with an audience of one: Yourself. Sure, others are going to be widely impacted, you could meet and interact with hundreds of people during this day, but no one else needs to know this isn’t the ‘real’ you – that you’re only faking it. Their eyes will take this ‘you’ as the real thing, and interact accordingly. If you’re full of love, acceptance, peace and certainty that life is unfolding brilliantly, how much drama and ill-will do you think you’ll create/attract as a result? I heard this on Oprah once: “Take responsibility for the energy you bring into a room.” No blame, no excuses, no yesterdays or childhoods to carry like a bag of rocks on your back, just freedom to choose, to be the greatest, most passionate, powerful ‘you’ the world (or just your cat) has ever seen. Just for one day. You may not win an Oscar, Emmy or a million hits on YouTube, you’ll perhaps win something better: A glimpse and direct, thrilling experience of you that’s been there all along, but locked behind a door labeled ‘Not Me’.
But all you’ve done is rename it ‘Why Not Me?' And had some unexpected (maybe uncomfortable) joy for a day, and experimented with your mind. Maybe it’s not the tortured enemy you’ve believed it to be. Would it be worth one day of your life to find out? You can always go back to ‘normal’ and ‘how it is’ tomorrow. -- Mitch Rustad
interesting, I'll try it, why not?
Posted by: Tim | 11/03/2015 at 12:09 PM
I think my mind's been stuck in a rut, good exercise
Posted by: Chet | 11/03/2015 at 03:20 PM
The game is quite type, because there is constantly a bonus offer if you finish a round although of course better play, constantly indicates far better bonus offers
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